Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 584: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount spent on the dairy hygiene scheme every year since 2000 to date in 2008; if feeding systems, milking equipment and milk tanks have been included in that scheme; and if not, when it will be expanded thus. [26887/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Dairy Hygiene Scheme was introduced by my Department in 2001 under the aegis of the 2000-2006 National Development Plan and accordingly closed for new applications on 31 December 2006. Expenditure on the Scheme since its introduction has been as follows:

The Scheme included the provision of grant-aid for milking equipment and bulk milk tanks. However, grant-aid was not provided for the installation of meal feeding systems in milking parlours until the introduction of Farm Improvement Scheme in July 2007.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 585: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount invested in the dairy processing sector every year since 2000 to date in 2008. [26888/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In April 2007, my predecessor announced the approval of grant assistance from the Dairy Investment Fund in the amount of €114 million towards capital investment in the processing sector. The Fund is expected to generate gross capital investment in the sector of €286 million when all projects have been completed. Capital investment outside this programme is a matter for the individual companies themselves and as it is private commercial information is not available to me.